Friday, 15 August 2014

It has been a while since I have posted any updates, but I have been very busy with my research.
Back in May I visited the Unilever Archive at Port Sunlight where I specifically examined their Stork Publications. Holding a wide variety of literature, important to my research, I was able to examine less widely available books and leaflets that often contained illustrations.Unfortunately many illustrators were not acknowledged, therefore it is very difficult to ascertain the artist and often the year.

Lever House Port Sunlight

The collection was varied and also included a record of the employees journal 'The Stork' a magazine produced by Van Der Berghs from 1949 containing articles often about employees of the Stork Brand, The Stork Margarine Cookery Service at trade shows, recipes (with Stork margarine of course) and behind the scenes accounts of advertising campaigns. This particular publication gave me an insight into the lives' of Unilever employees, and the importance of Stork in the post rationing era. As an insight into a specific brand, widely used and distributed in the post war era, it is easy to understand the continuing popularity of a brand, that has changed little over time, remaining a central product in everyday baking. As a result I am continuing to add to my collection of Stork publications as illustrated with the collection of books produced for The Stork Wives Club.

About

I am currently undertaking PhD research at Falmouth University. My research project is concerned with the interplay between cookery book writer and illustrator and the books they collaborated on. The years I am focusing on – 1954 (the year controlled food rationing ended) to 1965, provided some of the most influential and inspiring cookery books. This period also marked the rise in cookery programmes and ever increasing independence for women. This blog will enable my research to reach a wider audience, and incite response from fellow illustrators, writers, academics and interested parties.